Life-boat.



J. E. ERICKSON.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLIGATION FILED .TUNE 26, 1912.

Patented Nov. 12,1912.

4 1 l lll rr s rus

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Application filed June 26, 1912. Serial No. 705,976.

` To all whom t mmf concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. ERICKSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLife-Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lifeboats, and has for itsobject the production of a boat of this character which will be soconstructed as to be adapted to travel upon a rough sea, Without fear ofsinking because of the otherwise dangerous waves. Other objects willappear hereinafter.

The invention consist-s in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of a life boatembodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, Fig. 3 is asectional detail of the hatch and hatchway provided at the upper end ofthe tower included in the construction, and Fig. 4- is a fragmentarybottom plan view of the hatch showing the locking device coperatingtherewith.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawingcomprises a hull or structure 1 which is closed on all sides, therebeing port holes 2 provided at the sides of said structure which areprovided with transparent closures for admitting light to the interiorof said structure. Upon the bottom 3 provided in the hold of thestructure 1 is arranged a plurality of transversely extending benches 4Ladapted to accommodate the occupants of the boat.

Rising centrally from the deck of the hull l is a cylindrical tower 5which communicates at its lower end with the interior of said hull. Thetower 5 is held in upright position by suitable stays 6 arranged asshown. At the upper end of the tower 5 is provided a hatchway 7 whichmay be closed by a hatch 8. Said hatchway leads to a platform 9 which issurrounded by a suitable railing 10, said platform, when the boat is inuse, being adapted to accommodate a wireless transmitting and receivinginstrument, or other device for signaling or calling for aid. Theperiphery of hatch 8 is provided with a strip 11 of suitable packingwhich is adapted to coperate with the angular' jam strip l2 surroundingthe hatchway to insure a tight oint when the hatch is in closedposition, and thereby prevent the entrance of water to the interior ofthe boat. However, in practice, the hatch will perhaps need to beoccasionally opened in order to afford ventilation for the hold below. Apivoted locking member 13 is provided at the free edge of hatch 8 whichis adapted to engage under the strip 12 for locking said hatch in closedposition. Access to the up per end of the tower is gained by astepladder 14 which is provided upon the interior of said tower, aplatform 15 being provided at the lower end of said ladder which isaccessible from the upper end of a stair section 16 which leads from thebase of tower 5 to the floor 3, as shown.

Provided at the base of the tower 5 is a door 17 which affords anentrance to the boat during occupancy thereof, said door opening ontothe deck of hull 1 so that in practice the refugees will first mountsaid deck and then pass through the door down the stair section 16 tothe hull of the boat. After the occupancy of the boat, the door 17 willbe closed and fastened so as to exclude water, the periphery of door 17being preferably provided -with a packing strip in the same manner asthe hatch, above described.

At the stern of the boat is provided a pro peller 18 which is connectedfor driving by an electric motor 19 in the bottom of hull 1 under thefloor 3. Said motor is connected with a battery of cells 20 which willfurnish enough current to propel the boat a short distance from thesinking boat from which the same has been launched, and so that, whenthe vessel sinks, the life boat will not be drawn downwardly with thesame because of the suction created. A rudder 21 is also provided whichmay be operated by a t-iller 22 from within the boat.

A life boat of the construction set forth is durable and economical inconstruction and will be adapted to eHectually serve the purpose forwhich the same is intended.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into eifect, this is capable ofvariation and modification wit-hout departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and niodications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

l. A life boat comprising a structure closed on all sides, a towerarising from said structure, a hatchway in the upper end of said tower;a hatch for closing said hatchway, a platform at said end of said toweronto which said hatchway opens; a stepladder arranged in said towerleading to said hatchway; a door at the base of said tower opening ontothe deck of said structure; and a stair leading from said doordownwardly into the hold of said structure, substantially as described.

2. A life boat comprising a structure closed on all sides; a towerarising centrally from the deck of said structure, the base of H saidtower communicating with the interior of said structure; a hatchway int-he upper end of said tower; a hatch for closing said hatchway; astepladder arranged in said tower leading from the interior of saidstructure to said hatchway; a platform at the base of said ladder; adoor at the base of said tower opening onto the deck of said structure;andastair leading from said door and Said platform downwardly into thehold of -said structure, substantially as described. In vtestimonywhereof I have signed my naine to this specication in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN E. ERICKSON. Witnesses v JOSHUA R. H. Porre, JANET E. FARRELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

